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The Psychology of Fear

Daniel B. Block, MD, is an award-winning, board-certified psychiatrist who operates a private practice in Pennsylvania.

Frederick Bass / Getty Images

According to psychology research, fear is a primal emotion that involves a universal biochemical response and a high individual emotional response. Fear alerts us to the presence of danger or the threat of harm, whether that danger is physical or psychological.

Sometimes fear stems from real threats, but it can also originate from imagined dangers. While fear is a natural response to some situations, it can also lead to distress and disruption when extreme or out of proportion to the actual threat.

Fear can also be a symptom of some mental health conditions, including panic disorder , social anxiety disorder, phobias , and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Fear is composed of two primary reactions to some type of perceived threat: biochemical and emotional.

Biochemical Reaction

Fear is a natural emotion and a survival mechanism. When we confront a perceived threat, our bodies respond in specific ways. Physical reactions to fear include sweating, increased heart rate, and high adrenaline levels that make us extremely alert.  

This physical response is also known as the “fight or flight” response , with which your body prepares itself to either enter combat or run away. This biochemical reaction is likely an evolutionary development. It's an automatic response that is crucial to our survival.

Emotional Response

The emotional response to fear, on the other hand, is highly personalized. Because fear involves some of the same chemical reactions in our brains that positive emotions like happiness and excitement do, feeling fear under certain circumstances can be seen as fun, like when you watch scary movies .

Some people are adrenaline seekers , thriving on extreme sports and other fear-inducing thrill situations. Others have a negative reaction to the feeling of fear, avoiding fear-inducing situations at all costs.

Although the physical reaction is the same, the experience of fear may be perceived as either positive or negative, depending on the person.

Symptoms of Fear

Fear often involves both physical and emotional symptoms. Each person may experience fear differently, but some of the common signs and symptoms include:

• Rapid heartbeat
• Shortness of breath
• Upset stomach

In addition to the physical symptoms of fear, people may experience psychological symptoms of being overwhelmed, upset, feeling out of control, or a sense of impending death.

Diagnosing Fear

Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing persistent and excessive feelings of fear. Your doctor may conduct a physical exam and perform lab tests to ensure that your fear and anxiety are not linked to an underlying medical condition.

Your doctor will also ask questions about your symptoms including how long you've been having them, their intensity, and situations that tend to trigger them. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may diagnose you with a type of anxiety disorder, such as a phobia.

One aspect of anxiety disorders can be a tendency to develop a fear of fear. Where most people tend to experience fear only during a situation that is perceived as scary or threatening, those who live with anxiety disorders may become afraid that they will experience a fear response. They perceive their fear responses as negative and go out of their way to avoid those responses.

A phobia is a twisting of the normal fear response. The fear is directed toward an object or situation that does not present a real danger. Though you recognize that the fear is unreasonable, you can't help the reaction. Over time, the fear tends to worsen as the fear of fear response takes hold.

Causes of Fear

Fear is incredibly complex and there is no single, primary cause. Some fears may result from experiences or trauma, while others may represent a fear of something else entirely, such as a loss of control. Still, other fears may occur because they cause physical symptoms, such as being afraid of heights because they make you feel dizzy and sick to your stomach.

Some common fear triggers include:

• Certain specific objects or situations (spiders, snakes, heights, flying, etc)
• Future events
• Imagined events
• Real environmental dangers
• The unknown

Certain fears tend to be innate and may be evolutionarily influenced because they aid in survival. Others are learned and are connected to associations or traumatic experiences. 

Types of Fear

Some of the different types of anxiety disorders that are characterized by fear include:

• Agoraphobia
• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Panic disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Separation anxiety disorder
• Social anxiety disorder
• Specific phobia

Treatment of Fear

Repeated exposure to similar situations leads to familiarity, which can dramatically reduce both the fear response. This approach forms the basis of some phobia treatments , which depend on slowly minimizing the fear response by making it feel familiar.  

Phobia treatments that are based on the psychology of fear tend to focus on techniques like systematic desensitization and flooding. Both techniques work with your body’s physiological and psychological responses to reduce fear.

Systematic Desensitization

Systematic desensitization involves being gradually led through a series of exposure situations. For example, if you have a fear of snakes, you may spend the first session with your therapist talking about snakes.

Slowly, over subsequent sessions, your therapist would lead you through looking at pictures of snakes, playing with toy snakes, and eventually handling a live snake. This is usually accompanied by learning and applying new coping techniques to manage the fear response.

This is a type of exposure technique that can be quite successful. Flooding based on the premise that your phobia is a learned behavior and you need to unlearn it.

With flooding, you are exposed to a vast quantity of the feared object or exposed to a feared situation for a prolonged amount of time in a safe, controlled environment until the fear diminishes. For instance, if you're afraid of planes, you'd go on up in one anyway.

The point is to get you past the overwhelming anxiety and potential panic to a place where you have to confront your fear and eventually realize that you're OK. This can help reinforce a positive reaction (you're not in danger) with a feared event (being in the sky on a plane), ultimately getting you past the fear.

While these treatments can be highly effective, it's important that such confrontational approaches be undertaken only with the guidance of a trained mental health professional.

Coping With Fear

There are also steps that you can take to help cope with fear in day to day life. Such strategies focus on managing the physical, emotional, and behavioral effects of fear. Some things you can do include:

• Get social support. Having supportive people in your life can help you manage your feelings of fear.
• Practice mindfulness. While you cannot always prevent certain emotions, being mindful can help you manage them and replace negative thoughts with more helpful ones.
• Use stress management techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation , and visualization.
• Take care of your health. Eat well, get regular exercise, and get adequate sleep each night.

Press Play for Advice on Facing Your Fears

Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares a strategy to help you find courage when you need it the most. Click below to listen now.

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Fear is an important human emotion that can help protect you from danger and prepare you to take action, but it can also lead to longer-lasting feelings of anxiety. Findings ways to control your fear can help you better cope with these feelings and prevent anxiety from taking hold.

If you or a loved one are struggling with fears, phobias, or anxiety, contact the  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline  at 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see our  National Helpline Database .

Kozlowska K, Walker P, McLean L, Carrive P. Fear and the defense cascade: Clinical implications and management . Harv Rev Psychiatry . 2015;23(4):263-287. doi:10.1097/HRP.0000000000000065

Javanbakht A, Saab L. What Happens in the Brain When We Feel Fear . Smithsonian.

National Alliance on Mental Illness. Anxiety Disorders .

Adolphs R. The biology of fear . Curr Biol. 2013;23(2):R79-93. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2012.11.055

Craske MG, Treanor M, Conway CC, Zbozinek T, Vervliet B. Maximizing exposure therapy: An inhibitory learning approach .  Behav Res Ther . 2014;58:10–23. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2014.04.006

Samra CK, Abdijadid S. Specific Phobia . StatPearls Publishing.

By Lisa Fritscher Lisa Fritscher is a freelance writer and editor with a deep interest in phobias and other mental health topics.

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To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking, Stop Thinking About Yourself

• Sarah Gershman

Tips for before and during your presentation.

Even the most confident speakers find ways to distance themselves from their audience. It’s how our brains are programmed, so how can we overcome it? Human generosity. The key to calming the amygdala and disarming our panic button is to turn the focus away from ourselves — away from whether we will mess up or whether the audience will like us — and toward helping the audience. Showing kindness and generosity to others has been shown to activate the vagus nerve, which has the power to calm the fight-or-flight response. When we are kind to others, we tend to feel calmer and less stressed. The same principle applies in speaking. When we approach speaking with a spirit of generosity, we counteract the sensation of being under attack and we feel less nervous.

Most of us — even those at the top — struggle with public-speaking anxiety. When I ask my clients what makes them nervous, invariably they respond with the same answers:

• Sarah Gershman is an executive speech coach and CEO of Green Room Speakers. She is a professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, where she teaches public speaking to leaders from around the globe.

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Presentation Skills Top Tips to Overcome Fear

“No, no! Please don’t ask me to make a presentation.”

“I can’t do it – I get too scared – I’ll faint – I won’t be able to breathe.”

Presentation Fear – Nervousness – Fright – Panic

“No, no! Please don’t ask me to make a presentation. I can’t do it I get too scared I’ll faint I won’t be able to breathe.”

Now, maybe you don’t have this extreme fright reaction when you’re asked to present, but perhaps your initial reaction is like a rabbit in the headlights and you mentally leap to how to avoid it or why you’re the wrong person or just how awful you’re going to feel.

And what if you make a mess of it?

Irrational fear of failure seems like an appropriate response !

All common responses; all completely understandable.

Overcoming Presentation Fear

Why they’re understandable is that for most people standing in front of a group of people or sitting around a table presenting is unnatural, exposing, awkward, and utterly nerve-wracking. It’s also why things like daises and PowerPoint and iPads are used so extensively – because they’re something to hide behind.

For a lot of people, they think there’s nothing they can do but endure and get through it.

If you’re one of those people, here are some things you can do before you make your next presentation and of course, when you’re actually in front of an audience.

Before Making Any Presentation

Do your homework.

Too often I’ve seen people who felt they were too busy to prepare. I cannot emphasise enough just how important it is to be well-prepared to present . You don’t have to know every nuance of your material but you have to know enough to be able to reassure people you know what you’re talking about and how to direct people to learn more.

Someone Else’s Slide Deck

If you are expected to present someone else’s slide deck , then make enough notes in your own voice so when you present it sounds like you, rather than presenting something that doesn’t quite fit.

Avoid Trying to Wing It

Even if you’re well-prepared, you still need to rehearse and rehearse again. And again. If you use PowerPoint , then you absolutely have to learn how to make it work for you.

Visit the Space

Nothing eases presentation fear like really knowing the arena you’ll be presenting in.

Sometimes that may not be possible, but when it is, have a walk around the space, sit at the table, and get a feel for the room’s vibes. Walking into an unknown place can be very unnerving, so getting to know it ahead of time will serve you very well.

Make the Space Your Own

Not only is it important to get a feel for the space, but it’s also good to put your own stamp on it, even if all that means is shifting some chairs, moving a table, leaving brochures for people to take – really anything that shows you are connected to the space. For your audience, on an unconscious level, the more you own the space , the more credibility it gives you.

During the Presentation

That seems pretty obvious, but when your nerves are on over-drive, your breathing tends to be shallow which in turn can make you feel as though you aren’t getting enough oxygen. Before you start it really helps to take three or four deep slow breaths (note: if you take fast breaths you could well become dizzy and light-headed).

Jump Around

Not on stage but beforehand you could jump up and down a few times or if that’s not possible, do some stretches. Even if you are sitting, you can still stretch your arms above your head, turn your head slowly from side to side, shrug your shoulders; pretty much anything that will get you settled into your body.

Take Your Time

When presentation fear really kicks in, it’s easy to rush. By slowing things down right at the beginning, you will come across as thoughtful and considered. If this is indeed the first time in the space if there’s any furniture or props (a dais, a table, a carafe of water, a computer or tablet, etc.) move them, handle them, place them where you want them.

Questions From the Floor

If you don’t know the answer, be brave and say you don’t know . People respect your honesty far more than flannel or bluster.

Eye Contact

Again, when your nerves are strung as taut as they can stretch, it’s easy to stay buried in your notes or keep your eyes focused on your slides. Making eye contact with at least a few members of your audience is a good way to settle some of those nerves. Seek out a couple of friendly faces and return to them throughout the presentation.

Sips of water

Think of taking sips of water as mini-breaks where you can gather your thoughts, look at your audience and move a bit. Moving around is really important if you find yourself becoming rooted to the spot. Not only will it help you breathe better, but it will also get your blood moving as well.

Enjoy yourself??

Believe it or not, once your nerves are under manageable control, presenting can be an exciting , energising, and engaging way to communicate with others.

Follow even just a few of these tips and you’ll feel a lot more like the king of the jungle than that poor, frightened rabbit.

By Jo Ellen Grzyb , Director, Impact Factory

Check out Impact Factory’s range of Presentation Skills courses:

Presentation Skills Course – One and Two-Day

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how to give the perfect presentation

Overcoming fear of presentations, mental, physical & psychological strategies for greater confidence.

If you’re afraid of public speaking, you’re not alone. In fact, one study found that more people were afraid of public speaking than of dying! Many people suffer from so much stress while giving a presentation that their heart race, their hands sweat, their knees shake, and their mouths feel dry. What’s more, they may speak too fast or even forget what they wanted to say. Yet these physical stress responses can be overcome by identifying the causes of the fear and developing ways to overcome them.

Calming your inner critic

Sometimes, in our desire to excel and give of our best, we end up becoming our own worst critic. Instead of taking strength from the many positive experiences of our lives, we remember and exaggerate the effect of our mistakes. We brood over them, worry, and avoid future situations in which we may make the same errors. We allow our inner critic to destroy our confidence, affect our performance, or prevent us from reaching our potential. The problem in thinking this way is that we start to shut down our personal and professional horizons, instead of expanding them.

Making realistic improvements

At best, our fears challenge us. At worst, they immobilize us. This is especially true for those who have a phobia of public speaking. So,take tiny steps and keep your expectations realistic. Understand that you may continue to feel nervous, but not overly scared. More important, you will slowly start to look calm and confident, even if you don’t feel that way yet. As you prepare and plan, you will feel more in control of various elements of your presentation. At the beginning, you are unlikely to feel confident or to enjoy the experience. This happens only after you have accumulated many successful experiences. Nevertheless, you can learn how to give the impression that you are confident and happy to be there. Each positive performance will boost your self-esteem and motivate you to improve further. Finally, do not aim for perfection; aim for improvement. That is the way all of us grow and expand.

Changing your focus

As you progress in your career, and give more presentations, you will find that your focus begins to change from yourself to your audience. This changed attitude is an indication that you are no longer limited by the fear. A variety of strategies can help you to calm yourself and reach this stage.

Conquering nervousness

Most people feel nervous when they give a presentation. The key is to control the negative manifestations of your nervousness and to channel the extra energy flow. Remember, many people feel nervous but not everyone shows their nervousness. And that’s what matters.

Implementing useful strategies

Once you identify the ways you express your nervousness, you can use the following techniques to steady your wobbly knees and calm your racing heartbeat:

• Mental Strategies
• Psychological Controls
• Physical Techniques

The best approach is to experiment with a combination of techniques and see what works best for you. It doesn’t matter what helps your friend or colleague. We are all different and require unique methods to make us feel calm, cool, and in control. Whatever happens, don’t give up. Know that everyone has passed through the fear and everyone can come out of it. If the fear persists, it may be because you gave up too soon; delivering one or two more presentations might have been all that was required to break away from the fear for life.

MENTAL STRATEGIES

Prepare properly.

One of the best ways to overcome fear is to be adequately prepared. Nervousness is often produced by fear of the unknown. If you are familiar with your presentation material, your anxiety about speaking will be reduced. If you have ever given the same presentation more than once, you will have experienced this already.

Take the time to plan your presentation well. Use an organization template to make sure the information flows logically. Make sure you emphasize and repeat the key points you want people to remember. Don’t give in to the temptation to include too much information. People can only absorb so much knowledge at one stretch in an auditory manner.

Study the guidelines about designing effective visuals. Most people include too much information on their slides. Write only the most basic information on the slide itself so you can play a meaningful role in fleshing out the information and argument. If there are additional details you want to share, include them in a handout.

Then, after you’ve chosen the information and created your visuals, rehearse as often as necessary to get a feel for the flow of events. Identify how you will move smoothly from one point or section to the next. Draw up a plan and rehearse till you feel like you could deliver the presentation in your sleep. The repetition will also help you identify any bugs in your talk before the real event. If you always get stuck on particular word, for example, drop that word or expression and choose another you’re more comfortable with.

In short, the more you sweat while preparing the presentation, the less you will sweat while actually delivering it!

Conduct a Dialogue

Standing before a group of people to present your ideas often creates the feeling that you are delivering a monologue. However, any presentation, regardless of how formal, is a dialogue because you are constantly receiving visual feedback from the audience. You can reinforce the conversational aspect of presentations in your mind by using the following techniques:

• Interact with audience members before the presentation. Mingle with the crowd and introduce yourself.That way, they won’t be strangers anymore.
• Maintain eye contact during the presentation. Begin by establishing eye contact with a friendly face. As you feel more comfortable, focus on each person in small groups.
• Ask questions, so as to involve the audience whenever possible.

PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTROLS

Identify your fears.

One helpful step toward conquering your fear is to identify what it is you are afraid of. Some commonly expressed fears are:

• I might make a fool of myself.
• I might forget what I am going to say.
• I might begin to stutter or say the wrong thing.
• People may laugh at me.

Once you’ve identified what it is you are afraid of, you can determine whether the fear is legitimate. To analyze your fears, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is this a rational fear?
• If this is a rational fear, what is the worst that could happen?

Send positive messages

In life, you generally get what you expect. Learn to handle your inner critic and tell him or her that you can and will change. Look into the mirror and give yourself positive affirmations to offset the negative self-talk and to make a breakthrough. Instead of telling yourself that you’re terrible at giving presentations, for example, give yourself the positive message that you have the required skills to do a good job. Instead of saying you might forget what to say, tell yourself that you have reviewed and rehearsed so often that you could deliver the presentation well in your sleep!

Use visualization techniques

Visualization is kind of mental rehearsal. It is a psychological process in which you prepare yourself to produce a positive result by imagining a future event in your mind. It doesn’t take much time, and enables you to practice mentally for your presentation. If you visualize yourself giving a successful, confident presentation, you are more likely to do so. Never visualize yourself making mistakes, or you may subconsciously program yourself to do so. Expect a positive outcome as most winning personalities do. Be confidently optimistic in your own abilities and expect a better tomorrow.

Meet your audience

If possible, walk around, introduce yourself and greet members of your audience before the presentation begins. In this way, you will be speaking to fewer strangers and are more likely to get a positive nod from the individuals you have already met.

Do your best

To minimize your fear, you also must accept that it is not your job to please every single person in the room. Do your best to get your message across, focus on the positive responses you are picking up and forget the others.

PHYSICAL METHODS

Although nervousness is caused by a mental lack of confidence, the body responds as if it were being threatened physically. In both situations, the body is reacting to stress. The solution is to find a way to control your body’s physical reaction. The following methods will help you relax.

Progressive relaxation is a method of systematic tightening and loosening various muscles of your body until your entire body is in a relaxed state. The action of tightening and loosening enables you to feel the difference between the two states in a more pronounced way.

Guided imagery is a relaxation method which transports you mentally to a place which you associate with peace and restfulness (the opposite of stress) and thus allows your body to feel more relaxed before a presentation.

Moving about before and during the presentation relaxes your muscles and processes excess adrenalin. So get up out of your chair and walk around a bit, in a relaxed way, where you can get away from the crowd for a short while.

Breathe deeply and slowly while others are speaking or before you are introduced and called upon to begin your presentation. Then, walk confidently to the podium and begin speaking with energy.

I am terrified of presenting in front of a group…. I am also shy at parties and stuff like that. Is there any hope for me?

I am afraid my boss will ask me to do a presentation one day and I will lose my job. Maybe some people just don’t have it…?

First, relax. There are millions of people around the world who feel as you do. Still, if you are serious about getting over this fear, start by taking miniature steps. Read over all the guidelines on our site. Tell yourself that you’re as capable as anyone else of doing anything you put your mind to. In the meantime, start reading through some of the excellent books on overcoming presentations anxiety.

Starting tomorrow, take one tiny action each day to overcome your fear of social situations. Walk into a restaurant, ask a friendly stranger the time, ask a sales assistant for help, introduce yourself to a stranger at a party. Start small but move forward steadily each day. You will be surprised how quickly your life changes once you start to experience success in these small ways. Each success will build on the one before.

Thank you so much for this website. I’m a budding corporate trainer and I suffer from anxiety. I sometimes go blank while giving a presentation, The word that I’m looking for just eludes my mind and I end up making a fool of myself. Can you please teach me any technique that I can employ to avoid these situations or rather salvage my esteem when I go blank. Your help will be much appreciated ma’am.

Can you please suggest some books on overcoming presentation anxiety,

About Presentation Prep

Being able to speak in public can change your life! Presentation Prep is your complete, free guide to delivering speeches, lectures, and presentations more successfully and confidently. Whether you're a native English-speaker who suffers from public speaking anxiety, or a non-native speaker who needs guidelines for presenting to international audiences, this site will give you everything you need. Presentation Prep is written by Rebecca Ezekiel, an experienced corporate trainer who specializes in the areas of communications, presentations, and cross-cultural skills. Her online English language training videos are watched by millions of students worldwide.

The Psychology of Fear: Definition, Symptoms, Traits, Causes, Treatment

Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc

Associate Editor for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education

Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

Learn about our Editorial Process

Florence Yeung

Editor at Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons), Psychology, MSc, Clinical Mental Health Sciences

Florence Yeung is a certified Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner with three years of clinical experience in NHS primary mental health care. She is presently pursuing a ClinPsyD Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT). In her capacity as a trainee clinical psychologist, she engages in specialist placements, collaborating with diverse borough clinical groups and therapeutic orientations.

Saul Mcleod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul Mcleod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

On This Page:

What Is Fear?

Fear is a natural and primitive emotion that can be experienced by everyone to some degree.

Fear is a basic, emotional response to a perceived threat or danger. It triggers the body’s ‘fight-or-flight’ response, leading to physiological changes like increased heart rate and adrenaline levels.

Fear is an essential survival mechanism, helping individuals react to potentially life-threatening situations. It can respond to immediate, tangible threats and more abstract or future concerns. Fear can also be learned through past experiences or observations.

People may experience fear when in situations such as walking home alone at night, facing animals they perceive as dangerous, or when about to skydive out of a plane.

Fear can also be attributed to feelings of stress and anxiety. It may also contribute to some feelings of disgust, as according to a study investigating those who feared or did not fear snakes, those who experienced this fear reported high feelings of disgust and fear (Rádlová et al., 2020).

Fear is a very natural human response that arises as a defense mechanism in the face of potential danger or harm. It can manifest in a variety of situations and is a normal part of the human experience.

However, when fear becomes extreme in certain situations, such as in social situations or towards a particular object, it may indicate a more significant issue.

In such cases, seeking professional help and support can be beneficial in managing and overcoming the fear.

Biochemical Reaction

Fear is a normal response to many situations and comprises two primary reactions: biochemical and emotional.

The biochemical reaction to fear causes our bodies to respond to perceived threats in the environment.

This produces automatic physical reactions such as sweating, increased heart rate, breathlessness, and dilated pupils. These bodily reactions prepare the body to either combat the threat or run away from it – this is called the ‘ fight or flight ’ response.

In response to a threat, the sympathetic nervous system , part of the autonomic nervous system, is activated by the sudden release of hormones.

The sympathetic nervous system then stimulates the adrenal glands to trigger the release of hormones, resulting in physical reactions. These hormones are:

• Epinephrine (adrenaline) – Provides energy to the major muscles of the body so they can respond to a perceived threat.
• Norepinephrine (noradrenaline) – increases alertness, arousal, and attention. Connstricts blood vessels that help maintain blood pressure during times of stress.

Emotional Response

The emotional response to fear, however, is personalized to the individual. Since the biology of fear involves some of the same chemical responses to pleasant emotions , such as excitement and happiness, people can experience either pleasant or unpleasant emotions to fear.

For instance, some people may enjoy riding extreme roller coasters, while others may have a negative reaction and will avoid these at all costs.

Although the biochemical reaction for fear may be the same, some people will experience the intensity of fearful situations differently than others.

Symptoms and diagnosis

People can experience fear differently, but some of the common physical and emotional symptoms are:

• Rapid heart rate
• Upset stomach
• Shortness of breath
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Feeling out of control
• A sense of impending death

For a condition associated with fear and anxiety to be diagnosed, the symptoms must be persistent, interfere with some part of normal functioning, and cannot be better explained by another condition.

If feelings of fear become persistent and excessive, this could be diagnosed as a type of anxiety disorder, depending on the symptoms being experienced.

Common disorders which are associated with fear are: phobias, generalized anxiety disorder, s ocial anxiety disorder , healthy anxiety disorder, panic disorder , and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Is fear useful?

In many situations, fear is normal and healthy in that it can keep us from entering harmful situations and help us decide when to get out of these situations.

The immediate threat of danger and the physical responses that come with it can help focus our attention and mobilize us to cope with the danger, but either fighting against it (fight) or running away from it (flight).

Fear may also help us to react to danger without having to think about it consciously.

For example, if a car is coming towards us, fear can make us jump out of the way and thus save our lives. Also, if humans have the capacity to notice fear in others since we recognize it in ourselves, we can offer compassion and reassurance to others to help them cope.

In contrast, extreme levels of fear could result in the development of mental health conditions such as phobias or other anxiety conditions. A phobia is an intense, persistent, and out of proportional fear of something, an event, or a situation.

Phobias twist the normal fear response into something difficult or impossible to control and can be detrimental to people’s lives. Likewise, other anxiety conditions, such as generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder , involve intense worry or fear of many things and social situations respectively.

The biochemical and emotional response to fear can be so extreme that it can negatively affect people’s lives. If fear gets too extreme, such as in those experiencing anxiety disorders, it can keep us trapped, preventing us from doing things we want.

Disorders That Involve Fear

Phobias may be diagnosed when certain situations, events, or objects create a strong, irrational fear. Some symptoms of phobias include:

A sensation of uncontrollable anxiety when exposed to the source of the fear.

The feeling that the source of the fear needs to be avoided at all costs.

Not being able to function properly when exposed to fear.

They may acknowledge that the fear is irrational and exaggerated, combined with the inability to control feelings of fear.

• Feeling incapable of coping with the fear.

Different types of phobias can be diagnosed: specific phobias, social phobias , and agoraphobia. Specific phobias are intense, irrational fears of a specific trigger.

Some common specific phobias are spiders and snakes. Social phobia is a profound fear of public humiliation or being judged negatively by others in social situations.

Agoraphobia is an intense fear of situations from which escape might be difficult (or embarrassing) or in which help may not be available in the event of having an unexpected panic episode. This could be a fear of enclosed spaces, as well as open or crowded spaces.

Specific phobias are known as simple phobias since they can usually be linked to an identifiable cause and are unlikely to affect daily living as the person can avoid the trigger.

For instance, if someone has a phobia of heights, they are not likely to experience this fear day-to-day, only in situations where they may have to face their fear.

Social phobia (also known as social anxiety disorder) and agoraphobia, however, are known as complex phobias since their triggers are less easily recognizable or avoidable, and the individual is more likely to experience the associated fear more frequently than those with a specific phobia.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

PTSD is a mental health disorder that can develop in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, such as a serious accident, military combat, physical or sexual assault, or natural disaster.

One of the key symptoms of PTSD is experiencing intense fear, anxiety, or distress when confronted with reminders of the traumatic event, even if the present situation is not actually dangerous or threatening (Maren et al., 2013).

This fear response is thought to be related to the way the brain processes and encodes memories of the traumatic event. When someone experiences a traumatic event, the brain’s fear response is activated, causing the release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.

However, in people with PTSD, the brain’s fear response can become overactive and hyper-vigilant , causing them to perceive even minor cues in their environment as potential threats. For example, a veteran who experienced combat trauma might feel intense fear or panic when they hear a car backfire or fireworks, as these sounds could trigger memories of gunfire or explosions.

In essence, the fear response in people with PTSD is triggered by associations between present experiences and past traumatic events, rather than by a real and present danger.

These associations can be so strong that even subtle reminders of the trauma can trigger a full-blown fear response, leading to symptoms like panic attacks, hypervigilance, and avoidance behaviors.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

Those who experience GAD typically have persistent and excessive worries about everyday life and worry about multiple things. They may be fearful about their health, finances, safety, and relationships, etc. to the point where it can become exhausting.

People with GAD tend to experience the physical symptoms associated with fear but more often and for more reasons.

Panic disorder

Panic disorder is characterized as fear and worries of the panic attacks experienced recurrently, which are sudden and intense feelings of terror.

These feelings could sometimes occur without warning and are associated with physical symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, fast heart rate, and trembling.

Panic attacks could become very intense that impairs the individual functioning during the episode.

What Causes fear?

Specific phobias usually develop in childhood and, in some cases, can be pinpointed to an exact moment.

In some cases, specific phobias can result from an early traumatic experience with the feared object, event, or situation, such as a phobia of bicycles caused by a traumatic incident of falling off a bike as a child.

Phobias that start in childhood could also be caused by witnessing the phobia of a family member and developing the same phobia. For instance, if a parent has a phobia of spiders, the child may also learn to have a phobia of spiders.

Evolutionary theory of fear

Seligman (1971) applied his preparedness hypothesis theory to explain why humans fear. The preparedness hypothesis is the belief that humans tend to fear things that were a source of danger to our ancestors.

Seligman proposed that the fears of individuals diagnosed with phobias reflect the evolutionary prepared learning to fear events and situations that have provided survival threats.

He argued these threats would be from an evolutionary rather than a contemporary perspective.

This can explain why phobias such as threatening animals, heights, closed spaces, and social evaluations are very common and appear to be innate fears.

Contemporary fears such as bicycles, broken electrical equipment, and guns are less common as these would not have been survival threats to our ancestors.

The preparedness hypothesis suggests that humans can have innate responses to specific stimuli without any previous environment input.

This has been tested by scientists who found it was easier to train humans to fear snakes and spiders than friendly dogs of pillows, for instance.

This was especially true for very young children who appeared to fear snakes and spiders before encountering or hearing about them.

Fear conditioning

Pavlovian fear conditioning is a state of fear or anxiety that has been demonstrated in animals after repeated pairings of a threatening stimulus with a previously neutral stimulus using classical conditioning.

In experiments, the researchers would pair a neutral stimulus with an unpleasant stimulus – such as a loud noise or shock. After repeated pairing of these two stimuli, the neutral stimulus on its own would eventually elicit a state of fear.

This is another way in which intense fear could be caused. The fear expressed by the animals would be seen as essential for their survival in this instance.

This fear conditioning could be learned in humans who suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder caused by very distressing, frightening, or traumatic events, causing individuals to relive them through symptoms of intense or prolonged psychological distress when triggered.

This includes marked physiological reactions such as exaggerated and unrelenting unconditioned responses to stimuli (e.g., crowds, flashes of light, or sounds) associated with trauma (e.g., death or injury).

PTSD can bring about feelings of intense fear when something specifically triggers it. Most of the time, the trigger will not be an actual threat to survival but is a conditioned stimulus for the individual.

This means they can experience intense feelings of fear at times when it is not appropriate.

The brain’s fear response

The primary brain region that is responsible for fear is the amygdala. The amygdala is a collection of nuclei in the limbic system.

Some main nuclei in the amygdala are the lateral, basal, central lateral, and central medical nuclei. The lateral nucleus is the primary input that receives input from the thalamus and the brain’s cortex, providing it with information about the sensory stimuli being experienced.

The primary output nucleus of the amygdala is the central medial nucleus which projects to different structures, such as the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, which triggers the release of the stress hormone cortisol.

It also projects to the lateral hypothalamus to stimulate the autonomic nervous system , which results in the physiological symptoms associated with the fight or flight, or fear, response.

The amygdala is also thought to be the brain area responsible for fear conditioning. In rats, it was found that an unconditioned stimulus , such as a shock, is picked up by the spinal cord, which sends this signal to the thalamus and the cortex, which then both project to the lateral nucleus of the amygdala.

The synaptic inputs from the unconditioned stimulus are strong enough to excite the lateral amygdala neurons, activating the neurons in the central medial nucleus and thus produces a fear response.

Sensory information from a neutral stimulus (e.g., music) also reaches the thalamus and cortex.

Still, the inputs from this stimulus are not strong enough on their own to excite the lateral amygdala neurons , so the central amygdala neurons remain unstimulated, and there is no fear response.

However, if the neutral stimulus (music) is paired with the unconditioned stimulus (shock), neurons can encode both simultaneously.

This can strengthen the synapse between incoming neurons carrying information about the neutral stimulus and the lateral amygdala neurons.

Eventually, this synapse is strengthened enough to allow them to stimulate the lateral amygdala neurons on their own without the unconditioned stimulus. The lateral nucleus will then excite the central medial nucleus to produce the fear response.

The hippocampus , which plays a role in storing episodic memories, can also interact with the amygdala and be involved in fear.

The neurons from the hippocampus can project to the basal nucleus of the amygdala, which can then stimulate the central medial nucleus.

Because it can do this, the hippocampus allows contextual-related memories to respond to fear. This could be why we can have fearful memories and why they are so strong.

What does the research say?

There are suggested to be sex differences in amygdala activation.

A study that used the brain imaging technique of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) found that when presented with happy facial expressions, there was greater activation in the right amygdala for males but not for females.

Both males and females showed greater left amygdala activation for fearful faces, which supports that the left may be more involved in negative affect (Killgore & Yurgelun-Todd, 2001).

Other researchers have found that the volumes of brain regions involved in fear may differ for those who have experienced more trauma.

Using MRI on children who experienced trauma, research found reduced hippocampal and increased amygdala volume with increasing levels of trauma exposure. Higher exposure to violence was also associated with increased amygdala activation.

Finally, increased functional connectivity between the amygdala and the brain stem was associated with higher levels of exposure to violence (Van Rooij, et al., 2020).

How to Overcome and Manage Fear

Treatment for disorders associated with fear varies depending on the type of disorder and the symptoms experienced.

Often, phobias treatments can be used for disorders associated with extreme fear. Some of these treatment options will be explained below:

Graded Exposure Therapy

A common therapy for people with extreme fears is graded exposure therapy . This involves gradually leading the individual through exposure situations commonly used for those with specific phobias.

The aim is to gradually expose the individual to the fear object or situation in small steps until they feel comfortable and can move on to a higher level of exposure until they eventually can face their fear.

For instance, if someone has a phobia of spiders, the steps may go as follows:

Talking to the therapist about spiders

See pictures of spiders – this could start off as drawings and gradually get more realistic until the patient can manage to view a photo of one.

The patient may be encouraged to watch video footage of a spider

The patient could handle a toy spider

Eventually, the patient should get to a stage where they can face a real spider.

The steps taken to complete the therapy may take a long time, depending on how strong the fear is and the individual’s capability to cope.

Once the individual feels like they can manage their fear at each step, they can move on to the next step until they gradually become desensitized to their fear.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

CBT can help tackle negative and unrealistic thoughts regarding intense fear.

The individual can work with the therapist to work through their fears, form more realistic thoughts, challenge their fearful thoughts, and learn coping strategies.

CBT allows people to learn different ways of understanding and reacting to the source of their fear and can help teach a person to manage their feelings and thoughts.

Some medications can be useful to aid with the symptoms of extreme fear.

Medication should only be used as a short-term treatment for phobias because the medication can become part of safety behaviors for the individual to rely on when facing fearful situations.

This can prevent the individual from fully exposing themselves to the fear and not achieving desensitization eventually.

Below are some medications that can be used for phobias:

Beta-blockers – these work to reduce the physical symptoms of fear by lowering stress on the heart and blood vessels. These block the release of the stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine to prevent the fight or flight response from being triggered.

However, these can come with some side effects: insomnia, fatigue, and upset stomach.

Benzodiazepines – tranquilizers are a type of this medication. This helps reduce anxiety symptoms and has a sedative effect on the individual, meaning they slow down the body and brain function.

These medications can be taken when required but have been known to cause a dependency and can have withdrawal effects that could be life-threatening.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) – these medications are a type of antidepressant and are commonly prescribed for phobias.

SSRIs affect serotonin levels in the brain and so can produce better moods in individuals. Side effects of these medications include nausea, sleep problems, and headaches.

Other coping methods

Relaxation techniques can be used to help people calm down. These can include meditation and breath retraining exercises to help treat the symptoms of fear, especially when faced with a fearful situation.

Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique where an individual purposely tenses a muscle group for a few seconds and then releases it. The idea is that the release of the muscles should decrease any build-up tension.

Working through all the muscle groups this way can encourage the whole body to feel relaxed and reduce the fear response. Likewise, yoga can prove a useful method for reducing the fear response.

Combining physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation in yoga can all help people improve their management of anxiety disorders and fear.

Finally, exercise, specifically aerobic exercise, can positively affect stress and anxiety and may decrease the fear response symptoms.

Killgore, W. D., & Yurgelun-Todd, D. A. (2001). Sex differences in amygdala activation during the perception of facial affect. Neuroreport, 12(11), 2543-2547.

Maren, S., Phan, K. L., & Liberzon, I. (2013). The contextual brain: implications for fear conditioning, extinction and psychopathology.  Nature reviews neuroscience ,  14 (6), 417-428.

Öhman, A. (2009). Of snakes and faces: An evolutionary perspective on the psychology of fear. Scandinavian journal of psychology, 50(6), 543-552.

Rádlová, S., Polák, J., Janovcová, M., Sedláčková, K., Peléšková, Š., Landová, E., & Frynta, D. (2020). Emotional reaction to fear-and disgust-evoking snakes: sensitivity and propensity in snake-fearful respondents. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 31.

Seligman, M. E. (1971). Phobias and preparedness. Behavior therapy, 2(3), 307-320.

Steimer, T. (2002). The biology of fear-and anxiety-related behaviors. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 4(3), 231.

van Rooij, S. J., Smith, R. D., Stenson, A. F., Ely, T. D., Yang, X., Tottenham, N., Stevens, J. S. & Jovanovic, T. (2020). Increased activation of the fear neurocircuitry in children exposed to violence. Depression and anxiety, 37(4), 303-312.

Further Reading

• Kozlowska, K., Walker, P., McLean, L., & Carrive, P. (2015). Fear and the defense cascade: clinical implications and management. Harvard review of psychiatry.
• Adolphs, R. (2013). The biology of fear. Current biology, 23(2), R79-R93.
• LeDoux, J. E. (2014). Coming to terms with fear. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(8), 2871-2878.
• LeDoux, J. E., & Pine, D. S. (2016). Using neuroscience to help understand fear and anxiety: a two-system framework. American journal of psychiatry.

Is fear an emotion?

Yes, fear is a basic emotion that is triggered as a response to perceived threats. It is a survival mechanism that prompts action to protect oneself from danger. Fear can cause physiological changes like increased heart rate, and it can also influence thoughts and behaviors.

How do people perceive fear differently?

People perceive fear differently due to personal experiences, genetic predispositions, cultural norms, and mental health conditions. For some, a situation may trigger intense fear, while others may feel excitement or curiosity in the same situation. People’s coping strategies and resilience significantly influence their responses to fear-inducing situations.

What causes fear?

A perceived threat or danger causes fear. This can be a response to something immediate and obvious, such as coming face-to-face with a dangerous animal, or something more abstract, like a fear of losing one’s job. The brain’s amygdala plays a key role in processing fear by sending signals that trigger the fight-or-flight response. Fear can also be learned through personal experiences or by observing others.

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Presentation on theme: "Fear."— Presentation transcript:

MENTAL HEALTH: Understanding Your Emotions Ms. Mai Lawndale High School.

Aging Fears By: Darian Titus Mr. Leingang’s sixth Period Science class.

Understanding Emotions

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Expressing Your Emotions

Monday : Some of the ways kids bully other people are by hitting, kicking, calling them names, saying or writing nasty things about them, leaving them.

Mark 5:  Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. 22 Then.

Managing your _____________ allows you to express them in healthful ways.

Self Injury What Students need to know. Why? Often, people say they hurt themselves to express emotional pain or feelings they can’t put into words.

 What are mental & emotional disorders?  Causes of mental & emotional disorders  Vocabulary.

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 Think about someone who is confident and act, talk, and walk like him or her.  Model their mannerisms and behavior.  It works for them; it will work.

ANXIETY DISORDERS: TODAY I WILL PROVIDE YOU INFORMATION ABOUT ANXIETY DISORDERS.SO SIT BACK AND RELAX: BIBLIOGRAPHY WILL BE AT THE END.

Learn what test anxiety is. Be able to identify if you have test anxiety and learn how to overcome it. Be able to find ways to deal with test anxiety.

Glencoe Health Lesson 3 Expressing Emotions in Healthful Ways.

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Supporting School Transformation

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Mental and Emotional Health

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Top 5 Presentation Fears and How to Overcome Them

October 31, 2014 / Blog presentation delivery, presentation fears, presentation tips, public speaking anxiety

For a majority of Americans, a true horror story doesn’t involve the dead coming back to life. What really scares 76% of the population is far simpler. It’s a situation that regularly occurs in the world of business. In this scenario, there are no zombies or vampires. There’s only an empty stage with an audience looking on.

In lists ranking people’s phobias , the fear of public speaking constantly appears on top. It even outranks the fear of death, which usually appears at number two. Isn’t it odd that we find the idea of facing an audience even more daunting than death? Jerry Seinfeld  made a comic observation about it:

I read a thing that actually says that speaking in front of a crowd is considered the number one fear of the average person. I found that amazing – number two was death! That means to the average person if you have to be at a funeral, you would rather be in the casket than doing the eulogy.

So what leads to this heightened response over something that is so integral to our professional lives? Why are people so anxious about sharing their ideas to an audience? What are the presentation fears we need to overcome?

Presentation Fears: What are we afraid of?

As a psychiatrist, Dr. Judith E. Pearson works to help people move past their phobias. In her sessions she discovered three major presentation fears:

• Being the center of attention
• Making a mistake in front of others 
• Repeating mistakes from previous presentations 

Another public speaking coach, Gary Genard , adds a few more factors to the list. According to his experience, presentation fears stem from the following:

• Feeling dissatisfied with one’s presentation skills
• Comparing one’s self to other speakers 

‘Re-frame and Regain’: Overcoming presentation fears

According to Dr. Pearson, the best way to overcome your presentation fears is to approach them in a different light. We often get too involved in our fears that it soon becomes the only thing we can worry about. By re-framing the way you handle the situation, you can use your presentation fears as motivation.

Here’s how you can re-frame the 5 presentation fears listed above. Regain your confidence with the following techniques:

It’s not about you

A lot of the most common presentation fears stem from self-consciousness. If your anxiety stems from being the center of attention or how you compare to other speakers, it’s because you’re worried about how the audience perceives you. Are they scrutinizing the way you move and speak? Will they judge you if you make a mistake? Would they rather hear someone else talk about this topic? You get nervous because you worry about what they  might be thinking of you.

To solve this problem, you need to stop thinking of what you might be doing wrong. Instead, you need to focus on your goals. What is your presentation about? Why are you delivering it in the first place? What do you want to accomplish by the end of it?

And just like you, the audience is there to accomplish their own goals. They want to hear the information you’re about to share. If you really want to please them, focus on delivering your core message efficiently. As Dr. Pearson puts it, “stop thinking like a victim in front of a firing squad and start thinking like someone who has something worthwhile to say to people who want to hear it.”

Mistakes are unavoidable

Presentation fears can also stem from past experiences. If a crucial misstep derailed a previous presentation, it’s normal to worry that the same thing will happen again. As Genard puts it, “public speaking anxiety is often learned behavior.” But even so, it doesn’t have to be permanent.

Accept that some situations are out of your control and mistakes are inevitable. Instead of obsessing over the mistakes you committed in the past, think of how that experience can help improve your skills.

Practice makes perfect

It might sound cliche, but the best antidote to your presentation fears is sufficient preparation. Take the time to practice your skills and prepare your presentation. Familiarize yourself with all your points and arguments. Give yourself enough time to prepare great visuals. Most importantly, practice your skills even without a presentation coming up. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll feel about facing a crowd to share your point of view.

READ MORE: 

• Reframing Three Major Fears About Public Speaking – Toastmasters International
• 10 Causes of Speech Anxiety that Create Fear of Public Speaking – The Genard Method
• Public Speaking Anxiety: Facts, Stats, and Methods to Beat It

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Biggest Presentation Fear and How to Overcome It

February 4, 2021

The biggest presentation fear often comes in the form of a question. Really, it’s that nagging, negative internal voice we all have. It loops and loops until we can’t let it go. It can imprison us.

Fortunately, there are some tips and strategies you use to minimize the voice and the fear. Please note, if you have an actual phobia, what I discuss here may help some. However, I recommend you seek help from individuals and groups ( support group article , Meetup , National Social Anxiety Center ) that are trained to work with individuals with Glossophobia (Fear of Public Speaking) .

Worry is like a rocking chair—it will give you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere.

The Biggest Presentation Fear (question)

Anyone who has stood in front of an audience, whether to speak or act, has asked themselves this question at some point. Left unchecked it can get the better of us. Before we know it, we are hot mess.

What will people think of me if I fail?

Let’s be honest. Most of us deep down (or not so deep down) worry about what others think of us. We know we shouldn’t. But the majority of us have been condition from early childhood to think this way. It is a hard mindset to overcome.

Standing in front of a group of people often brings this biggest presentation fear to the forefront. As a presenter, we give ourselves added pressure to be the authoritative voice in the room. “Failing” means loss of credibility and without that, the presentation is meaningless.

To overcome this common anxiety is a shift in mindset. There are a few things to remember to take that extra weight off your shoulders.

The audience wants you to succeed

Those in attendance are there to gain something whether it is new skills, become more informed, or buy a product or service that makes their life easier. They are not there to make fun of you.

When you attend a presentation, are you there hoping the presenter makes a complete fool of themselves so you can snicker and joke about it? Of course not. Many people share this big presenation fear and actually admire you for having the courage to get up in front of the group.

No one is born a master of anything

Think of someone you greatly admire for their skills and knowledge. They did not magically become that way. Because they worked really hard to achieve that level of mastery. Putting self-imposed pressure on yourself to be a master immediately, will only intensify that biggest presentation fear.

Did you know that Michael Jordan, the basketball great, was dropped from his high school basketball team? The coach told him he wasn’t good enough. Rather than shrink away as a “failure,” he practiced and trained until he was good enough to be on the team. His commitment to practice and training made him a legend.

Improve your presentation skills at your own pace

It’s hard not to compare yourself to someone else who has better skills. I fully admit to falling into that trap regularly. Only you can decide the pace at which you will improve. The key thing to remember - every time you practice, you get better. My blog post, Avoiding Common Presentation Mistakes , can give some guidance for improving your presentations.

Not everyone will like what you say and do

Accept it -- you will never get everyone to like what you say and do. Research has shown that it is rare for speakers to get approval ratings of over 96% consistently. Every time you speak, just plan for the odd 3% of the audience to disagree or dislike some part of the presentation. This is a good thing. Trying to be perfect is too much pressure. That pressure contributes to having this "biggest presentation fear."

Stand in front of an audience is hard. It is natural to be nervous and have a bit of fear. Often, it brings out the biggest presentation fear -- the fear of failure. To not get trapped by that anxiety, you need to make a mindset shift to get past those feelings.

Remember, the audience isn’t the enemy. They are there to learn from you. The more you present, the more experience you have. The more experience you have the better you become. Lastly, give up the notion that you can get everyone to like every aspect of your presentation. Perfectionism is exhausting.

In the comments below, I would love to hear what mindset strategies you use to overcome your fear of failure and to let go of the biggest presentation fear.

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Overcoming the fear of presenting

July 31, 2022 Public speaking is often a nerve-racking experience, even for the most seasoned professionals. Whether it is presenting to a large group, a senior client, or a CEO, it involves overcoming fears and doubts, being confident, and thinking on your feet. In My Rookie Moment , McKinsey senior leaders look back on presentations they gave as rookie consultants—sometimes unexpectedly and without much preparation—and the lessons they learned that helped shape their careers. Check out the videos to see what they have to say.

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Presentation Anxiety: How to Overcome Stage Fright (Complete Guide)

Tyler Ellis

Glossophobia, the fear of public speaking, is thought to affect as much as 75% of the population. For both students and professionals alike, this phobia tends to take the form of presentation anxiety. So, how can we overcome stage fright and presentation anxiety once and for all?

While avoiding presentations may bring some short-term relief to your anxiety, this will worsen your stage fright in the long-run. To overcome presentation anxiety long-term, presentation tools and gradual practice are the most effective solutions.

Maybe, right now, you’re extremely anxious about a presentation coming up. Maybe the only thought racing through your mind is how in the world am I going to get out of giving this presentation?

No worries. This guide is going to cover everything – and I mean everything – you’ll need to know. Make sure not to skip the section on “alternative ways of presenting,” I think you’ll find those really useful!

No need to stress; let’s get right into this.

What Causes Presentation Anxiety?

First things first… why do we feel presentation anxiety in the first place?

Sure, we might expect our heart to pound and breathing to accelerate as we walk along the edge of a cliff – but during a presentation? What part of talking about George Washington Carver inventing peanut butter should cause our hands to tremble and our voice to stutter?

Well, as it turns out, presentation anxiety is caused by ancient mechanisms in our brain responsible for our survival. For anxious people, our brain perceives being the center of attention in large group to be a threat. This triggers the “fight or flight” response, causing us to panic as we try and escape our uncomfortable setting.

Obviously, we are in no real danger while giving a class presentation or work presentation. Many years of evolution, however, have trained us to avoid stage fright with a passion. In ancient times, being surround by a (potentially angry) mob could have fatal consequences; as could being humiliated, rejected, or otherwise cast out from the tribe.

For many of us – especially those of us prone to social anxiety – such fears have stuck with us since caveman times. It’s important we remember these fears are harmless. Just being aware of their nature can help with this process. Despite what your brain and body may be telling you, these feelings of anxiety are not dangerous; they are going to pass.

Feel free to check out this article for a better understanding of the evolutionary psychology behind anxiety .

How to Get Out of a Presentation

I recommend against avoidance in most cases, as it only reinforces our anxiety in the long-run.

However, I know what it’s like to be a student with presentation anxiety.

I know how hard it is juggling academics, a social life, relationships, and newly blossoming anxieties all at once. I know that it can get so bad the most logical option feels like dropping out of school altogether. I don’t want you to feel like you have to do that.

So, if you’re really just not ready to overcome your stage fright:

• Intentionally Choose Classes That Don’t Require Presentations
• Tell the Teacher or Professor About What You’re Going Through
• Ask the Teacher or Professor for Alternative Assignments
• For Group Presentations, Ask Someone Else to Take the Lead
• Present Your Assignment in an Alternative Format Using Presentation Tools and Software (more on this in a bit)

If this seems a bit vague, it’s only because I’ve actually dedicated an entire article to this topic already. Check out this piece on how to get out of giving a presentation in class for more help with this.

Like I said, ultimately, avoidance is a poor strategy. However, I believe it’s just as detrimental to be “forced” into facing our fears before we are mentally prepared to do so. Having been there myself, I want you to be able to rest easy knowing that you do have some options here.

For this guide, however, I want to focus more on how to actually overcome presentation anxiety and stage fright.

My secret is – believe it or not – I get incredibly nervous before public speaking, no matter how big the crowd or the audience and, um, despite the fact that I laugh and joke all the time I get incredibly nervous, if not anxious, actually, before going into rooms full of people when I'm wearing a suit... And now that I've confessed that, I'll probably be even more worried that people are looking at me.

Prince Harry - Duke of Sussex, Member of the British Royal Family

How to Stop a Panic Attack While Presenting in Class

When I first started having panic attacks, I had no idea what they were or why they were happening. Prior to my first panic attack, I had never had an issue with public speaking or presentation anxiety at all. In fact, I had voluntarily participated in several clubs and activities that required public speaking.

Yet, when my first few panic attacks started (I was around 16 at the time), they would occur in any random situation. Wherever they occurred, I'd quickly develop a phobia associated with that location or situation. One such random panic attack occurred – you guessed it – during a class presentation.

While this experience was terrifying, embarrassing, and extremely uncomfortable, I had – fortunately – managed to keep it together enough for most people not to notice. For the many class presentations that would follow, however, I had to develop some tricks to stop panic attacks while presenting in class.

Here’s what worked for me:

• Volunteer to go first. This may seem strange, but I always felt it easier to volunteer first and get it out of the way. Oftentimes, it’s easier to deal with presentation anxiety when we don’t feel cornered. By choosing to do it yourself, you maintain some control of the situation and get the jump on things before anticipation anxiety kicks in .
• Remember you are not going to die. This is just a panic attack, and it’s going to pass. It may be uncomfortable, but it will be over within a few moments.
• Take control of your breathing. 478 breathing is a simple technique that works. Simply breathe in for 4 seconds through the nose, hold for 7 seconds, exhale for 8 seconds through the mouth.
• Find a focus object. Choose a point, or several points, to focus on in the room. This could be a ceiling tile, a lightbulb, a pile of books, anything. Whenever your thoughts start to wander or spiral out of control, recenter your thoughts on that focus object.
• Try and remember the other times you’ve given a class presentation with anxiety. Chances are, this isn’t your first time. Remember those past successes and visualize this presentation as one where you overcome stage fright as well. If your mind is drawn to a time when it didn’t go so well, at least remind yourself that it passed and you survived it; just as you’ll survive this one.
• If you have a friend in the class, look to them from time to time. Flash them a smile or a wink, and try not to laugh out loud while you’re up there. This may seem silly, but I’d rather stifle a laugh than grapple a panic attack.
• Remember that no one’s really paying attention. Just as you were sitting at your desk nervously thinking about your own turn to present, most people are doing the exact same now. And even if they’re not anxious, they’re probably zoned out or drifting off; it’s quite difficult to keep an involuntary crowd’s attention. Trust me, they’re probably not thinking about you much.

These are just a few ways to stop a panic attack while presenting in class. Of course, just about any method for stopping panic attacks can work well here, so feel free to explore our site a bit to learn some other methods.

There are only two types of speakers in the world:

1. The nervous

Mark Twain - American humorist, novelist, and travel writer

Alternative Ways of Presenting to Help Overcome Stage Fright

If you take nothing else from this article, I believe that this is the section that can help anxious students and professionals with stage fright the most. When I was dealing with presentation anxiety myself, most of these options didn’t even exist. If you’re anxious about standing in front of class and presenting, any of these could be fantastic alternatives to presenting.

Basically, any of these presentation software tools can help you to quickly create a visually stunning presentation; all without having to speak in front of the class. They utilize audio, video, and/or animation to create informative videos that get the point across even more effectively than conventional presentations.

For the most part, all a teacher or boss really cares about is that you: 

• Put hard work and dedication into your assignment
• Learned something throughout the process
• Are able to communicate what you learned to educate your peers

Telling the teacher “Sorry, I just can’t present today,” won’t meet any of these points, and is likely to land you a failed grade.

Instead, ask your teacher if you can use one of these presentation tools to create an even more engaging and informative presentation. This way, it’ll seem like you’ve put in the most effort in the class, rather than the least; all without having to speak in front of the class.

Here are the automated presentation tools I currently use myself and recommend:

I go into much greater detail on these tools here: automated presentation software . Before buying anything, I strongly suggest giving that article a read. Otherwise, Toonly and Doodly are my top picks.

What is the Best Presentation Anxiety Medication for Stage Fright?

Giving a presentation in high school or college can be extremely stressful for many people. If standing in front of the class feels like an impossible task, you may be wondering about presentation anxiety medication. So… what are the best drugs for presentation anxiety?

Since I’m not a doctor, I can only offer you a friendly opinion here.

In general, I think it’s a good idea to steer clear of anti-anxiety medication whenever it isn’t absolutely necessary. If your doctor prescribes you presentation anxiety medication, so be it. In the long-run, however, this can often create cycles of reliance and dependence that are best avoided.

But what about taking an over-the-counter supplement for anxiety before a presentation?

I have personally found one supplement to help me relax and communicate more confidently. This is my favorite supplement for stage fright, as it has helped me tremendously in situations where I would normally feel a bit socially anxious. I’ve used this supplement for presentations, job interviews, and even first dates.

My favorite supplement for presentation anxiety symptoms is phenibut. It just helps me feel significantly calmer while simultaneously boosting my sociability and confidence. This supplement is extremely affordable and legally sold online in most countries. If you want to learn a bit more about it, I have an article going into greater depth about phenibut here.

I do urge responsibility when using phenibut, as you don’t want to become reliant on it. But if it makes the difference between shirking your presentation vs. delivering a great one, I highly recommend it.

Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning

Winston Churchill - Former Prime Minister of the UK, Famous Orator

Tips for How to Present a Project Effectively

Few things help to eliminate anticipation anxiety like truly preparing for the situation. If your fears are rooted in delivering a poor or ineffective presentation, take some time to prepare.

Here are some tips for how to present a project effectively:

How to Overcome Stage Fright and Presentation Anxiety

There are many strategies we can take when dealing with our presentation anxiety or stage fright. Here are three of the most common strategies:

• Complete Avoidance – Post-college, public speaking occasions like presentations are pretty few and far between. As an adult, it isn’t too difficult to avoid presentations, although not overcoming stage fright can be a hinderance in many career fields.
• Reluctant and Occasional – Here’s where most people in the world probably fall. Most of us aren’t 100% comfortable with presenting, yet we suck it up and get it done when we have to. This isn’t a bad place to be, although it's uncomfortable occasionally.
• Conquering Presentation Anxiety – Some brave souls will choose to completely crush their fear of public speaking, overcoming stage fright and glossophobia entirely. This path is not for the faint of heart, as it isn’t easy; however, it has the largest payoff in the end with regard to career and confidence.

We’ve already discussed strategies for the first two earlier in this guide. Let’s now focus on the third.

How can we overcome presentation anxiety and glossophobia?

Well, whenever we want to eliminate a fear or phobia long-term, the best way to do so is through exposure therapy. We do have a full article on how to extinguish fears through exposure therapy if you’re curious to really understand this process.

For now, I’ll fill you in on the basics:

By gradually stepping outside of our comfort zone and exposing ourselves to our fears, we can eliminate those fears over time. The key here is that we are stepping a bit outside our comfort zone, but not immersing ourselves so fully to induce panic. In other words: challenge yourself at a fair pace.  

So how do we apply this to overcome presentation anxiety and stage fright?

My suggestion would be to identify the smallest voluntary step you can take outside of your comfort zone without panicking. Perhaps presenting may induce a panic attack, but are you at least able to read aloud from your seat? Perhaps reading aloud is difficult, but could you at least volunteer an answer from time to time?

This process will be as unique as a fingerprint for each person, as we all have different comfort zones and stressors. Try and find where your comfort zone ends and take small steps just outside of it. With repeated practice, you’ll notice your comfort zone expanding as you become more confident with the activity.

In general, here are some opportunities you may find useful for stepping outside of your comfort zone:

• Start raising your hand more often to ask or answer questions
• Volunteer to read aloud or answer a problem on the board whenever you’re feeling confident
• Create a presentation using presentation software (recommendations above), but see if you can actually get through it without relying on the audio. If you get too nervous, you can use it
• Rather than trying to get out of a presentation, ask your groupmates if you could take a lesser role with speaking; perhaps you could do more of the research to make up for it
• Seek out your local Toastmasters group to practice public speaking away from the pressures of your own social circles
• Try and attend small open mic nights and similar opportunities to gain experience with public speaking

Fun Fact: I successfully avoided presentations for the majority of my high school and college career. Afterward, I wound up working several jobs that forced me to confront this fear. First came a sales job, and next came a job that required me to speak in front of 150-200 people multiple times per day.

Turns out, I liked money more than I disliked public speaking.

List of Famous People with Public Speaking Anxiety

Sometimes a bit of solidarity goes a long way. Here’s a list of famous/successful people who have long been known to have suffered from public speaking anxiety:

• Winston Churchill
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Abraham Lincoln
• Prince Harry
• Warren Buffet
• Mark Zuckerberg
• Sigmund Freud
• Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Tiger Woods
• Rowan Atkinson
• Jackie Chan
• Thomas Jefferson
• Margaret Thatcher
• Princess Diana
• Eleanor Roosevelt
• Sir Richard Branson

As you can see… we’ve got some big names up there. And this is just a very small list of successful people who have been open about their public speaking anxiety – to say nothing of the silent majority!

Never forget, you’re far from alone in experiencing this – you can absolutely overcome presentation anxiety, stage fright, and glossophobia if you wish to!

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About the Author

Years of personal experience with anxiety disorders and panic attacks have led me to devise some pretty creative ways to keep my anxiety in check. In the past, anxiety and panic attacks felt like something I'd have to live with forever. Nowadays, panic attacks are a distant memory for me, and I'm free to pursue passions like writing and traveling the world. Hopefully, the information on this website can help you achieve the same. I do all the writing here myself, so don't hesitate to reach out with questions!

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Presentation Fear: Seven Actions to Increase Your Confidence

• December 20, 2018 July 13, 2021
• Articles , Personal Development , Tips and Tricks

I know very few people that get excited about presenting. In a recent Prezi survey, 20% of respondents said they would do anything to avoid giving a presentation, including pretending to be sick. Presenting in front of an audience, especially superiors, is one of the most important things we do in our careers. Presentation fear is real. Fortunately, there are ways to deal with it.

Presentation Skills are Important

More than ever, presentation skills are essential to a successful career. It seems we live in a PowerPoint society and presenting multiple times a week is part of today’s work reality.  Developing Effective Presentations is one thing, delivering them when you are terrified of doing so is another. In the same Prezi survey cited above, 70% of employed Americans who give presentations agree that presentation skills are critical to their professional success. The survey also points out that people are welcoming help. Over 75% of the people who give presentations would like to be better presenters. This is why presentation skills is one of the primary developmental areas I face when coaching clients.

What Makes us Nervous?

According to the Mayo Clinic, fear of public speaking, also known as performance anxiety or stage fright, is a common form of anxiety that can range from slight nervousness to paralyzing fear and panic. A Gallup poll a few years ago found that about 40 percent of adults in the US suffer from some degree of stage fright. About seven percent of people suffer from a debilitating condition called Social Anxiety Disorder.

What makes us so nervous presenting in front of other people? After all, they are just people like us. The popular medical site WebMD puts it very simply that “stress and anxiety about performing in front of people causes performance anxiety.”

Seven Actions to Increase Your Presentation Confidence

Controlling our nerves by dealing with our stress and anxiety will result in a positive impact to our brand and our image in the workplace. The following are some tips that I have used to reduce my fear of presenting.

• Maintain a healthy lifestyle . Exercise and get a good night’s sleep the day before your pitch. This can reduce nervousness, increase energy levels and build a positive mindset. Watch your diet, especially sugar and caffeine the day of your presentation. Eat a sensible meal a few hours before you present.
• Stay positive . Focus on the task versus focusing on thinking about the event and everything that can go wrong. Think positive thoughts and visualize what you would like the experience to be. Keep in mind that it’s OK to make mistakes. Nobody is perfect and nobody expects you to be perfect. Set your expectations accordingly.
• Know your material well . There is no replacement for knowing your material well. This helps boost confidence and reduces the need to look back at your slides. Determine the story you want to convey overall and for each slide. Be ready for all types of questions, especially one that has an “I don’t know answer”.
• Practice, practice, practice . But do it the right way. Most people practice by staring at their slides. My advice is not to do that. Cover up the screen on your laptop with a piece of paper so the outline of the slide is visible but the words are not. This forces you to know the content and the words you want to use.
• Use pauses to your advantage . Speaking in short, clear, soundbite sentences with significant pauses in between helps make your message clearer, gives you time to think between sentences and makes your presentation sound more professional. This also helps reduce filler words.
• Smile and connect with your audience . Many people present formally. It is much better to talk to the audience as if they were a friend. This helps you become more relaxed. Be yourself. Try to meet and shake hands with your audience before the presentation. Use humor to create a relaxed environment.
• Get feedback afterwards . Have a friend in the audience that you can present to and that can provide feedback. A coach is a great resource to provide objective and constructive feedback.

Presentation fear is real but there are ways to reduce the fear and increase your effectiveness. Everyone is different. Find the actions that work for you and create a routine that maximizes your positive energy and delivers the best performance.

I hope this article was helpful. Drop me a note in the comment section below or through the  Contact Me  page if you have any questions.

© T. Kahler Coaching, LLC, All Rights Reserved.

NOTE: This article does not constitute medical advice, and its author is not certified to diagnose disorders. Seek medical attention if you feel your fear requires medical treatment. SOURCES: Prezi, WebMD, Psychology Today

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Fear of public speaking: how can i overcome it, how can i overcome my fear of public speaking.

Fear of public speaking is a common form of anxiety. It can range from slight nervousness to paralyzing fear and panic. Many people with this fear avoid public speaking situations altogether, or they suffer through them with shaking hands and a quavering voice. But with preparation and persistence, you can overcome your fear.

These steps may help:

• Know your topic. The better you understand what you're talking about — and the more you care about the topic — the less likely you'll make a mistake or get off track. And if you do get lost, you'll be able to recover quickly. Take some time to consider what questions the audience may ask and have your responses ready.
• Get organized. Ahead of time, carefully plan out the information you want to present, including any props, audio or visual aids. The more organized you are, the less nervous you'll be. Use an outline on a small card to stay on track. If possible, visit the place where you'll be speaking and review available equipment before your presentation.
• Practice, and then practice some more. Practice your complete presentation several times. Do it for some people you're comfortable with and ask for feedback. It may also be helpful to practice with a few people with whom you're less familiar. Consider making a video of your presentation so you can watch it and see opportunities for improvement.
• Challenge specific worries. When you're afraid of something, you may overestimate the likelihood of bad things happening. List your specific worries. Then directly challenge them by identifying probable and alternative outcomes and any objective evidence that supports each worry or the likelihood that your feared outcomes will happen.
• Visualize your success. Imagine that your presentation will go well. Positive thoughts can help decrease some of your negativity about your social performance and relieve some anxiety.
• Do some deep breathing. This can be very calming. Take two or more deep, slow breaths before you get up to the podium and during your speech.
• Focus on your material, not on your audience. People mainly pay attention to new information — not how it's presented. They may not notice your nervousness. If audience members do notice that you're nervous, they may root for you and want your presentation to be a success.
• Don't fear a moment of silence. If you lose track of what you're saying or start to feel nervous and your mind goes blank, it may seem like you've been silent for an eternity. In reality, it's probably only a few seconds. Even if it's longer, it's likely your audience won't mind a pause to consider what you've been saying. Just take a few slow, deep breaths.
• Recognize your success. After your speech or presentation, give yourself a pat on the back. It may not have been perfect, but chances are you're far more critical of yourself than your audience is. See if any of your specific worries actually occurred. Everyone makes mistakes. Look at any mistakes you made as an opportunity to improve your skills.
• Get support. Join a group that offers support for people who have difficulty with public speaking. One effective resource is Toastmasters, a nonprofit organization with local chapters that focuses on training people in speaking and leadership skills.

If you can't overcome your fear with practice alone, consider seeking professional help. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a skills-based approach that can be a successful treatment for reducing fear of public speaking.

As another option, your doctor may prescribe a calming medication that you take before public speaking. If your doctor prescribes a medication, try it before your speaking engagement to see how it affects you.

Nervousness or anxiety in certain situations is normal, and public speaking is no exception. Known as performance anxiety, other examples include stage fright, test anxiety and writer's block. But people with severe performance anxiety that includes significant anxiety in other social situations may have social anxiety disorder (also called social phobia). Social anxiety disorder may require cognitive behavioral therapy, medications or a combination of the two.

Craig N. Sawchuk, Ph.D., L.P.

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• Social anxiety disorder (social phobia). In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5. 5th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association, 2013. http://dsm.psychiatryonline.org. Accessed April 18, 2017.
• 90 tips from Toastmasters. Toastmasters International. https://www.toastmasters.org/About/90th-Anniversary/90-Tips. Accessed April 18, 2017.
• Stein MB, et al. Approach to treating social anxiety disorder in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed April 18, 2017.
• How to keep fear of public speaking at bay. American Psychological Association. http://www.apa.org/monitor/2017/02/tips-sidebar.aspx. Accessed April 18, 2017.
• Jackson B, et al. Re-thinking anxiety: Using inoculation messages to reduce and reinterpret public speaking fears. PLOS One. 2017;12:e0169972.
• Sawchuk CN (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 24, 2017.

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Why Are We Scared of Public Speaking?

Understanding the roots of this common fear can help us conquer it faster..

Posted November 27, 2017 | Reviewed by Gary Drevitch

• What Is Fear?
• Find a therapist to combat fear and anxiety
• There are many benefits to being a good public speaker.
• Fear of public speaking is very common, affecting about 25% of people.
• The fear may be caused by physiology, beliefs, specific situations, or lack of skill.

Communicating your ideas clearly and presenting them openly in a public forum is an essential component of success across several domains of life. Being a good public speaker can help you advance your career , grow your business, and form strong collaborations. It can help you promote ideas and move people to action on issues that affect them directly and society at large. To do any of these things well requires a fair amount of standing in front of an audience and delivering a pitch, an idea, or a body of work. And sometimes the only thing that stands between you and your audience is fear.

Glossophobia —a really cool and geeky name for the fear of public speaking —appears when you are performing or expecting to perform an oral presentation or a speech in front of other people. Fear of public speaking is frequently but incorrectly cited as people’s biggest fear. Fear of public speaking is often not people’s biggest fear; there are many other things that people are really scared of . Nevertheless, fear of public speaking is very common; approximately 25 percent of people report experiencing it.

While some people experience a debilitating form of glossophobia, even a mild form can have devastating effects. Fear of public speaking can prevent you from taking risks to share your ideas, to speak about your work, and to present your solutions to problems that affect many people—and as a result, it can affect how much you grow personally and professionally, and how much impact you can have. At the same time, any negative public speaking experiences will make it less likely that you will speak in public in the future—fear teaches you to protect yourself from risky situations.

Why Are We Afraid of Public Speaking?

Fear of public speaking is not so much related to the quality of a speech as it is to how the speaker feels, thinks, or acts when faced with speaking in public. There are many reasons why people become afraid when having to speak in public. The theories exploring the fear of public speaking have identified four contributing factors:

1. Physiology

Fear and anxiety involve the arousal of the autonomic nervous system in response to a potentially threatening stimulus. When confronted with a threat, our bodies prepare for battle. This hyperarousal leads to the emotional experience of fear, and it interferes with our ability to perform comfortably in front of audiences. Eventually, it prevents people from pursuing opportunities for public speaking.

Some researchers suggest that there are people who generally experience higher anxiety across different situations, and are therefore more prone to feel anxious about speaking in public as well. People who are predisposed to feeling anxious find it more challenging to master their anxiety and conquer their fear of public speaking and will opt to avoid it. For other people, the anxiety is limited to public speaking situations, but the physiological signs of fear they experience as they anticipate, prepare, and perform in public are similar.

Moreover, some people experience what researchers call anxiety sensitivity, or the fear of fear. Anxiety sensitivity means that in addition to being worried about public speaking, people are worried about their anxiety about public speaking and how their anxiety will affect their ability to perform in challenging communication situations. So, along with worrying about whether they will accomplish their objectives with their speech, people with high anxiety sensitivity also worry that they will be overwhelmingly anxious in front of their audience, and they will come across as a shaky speaker.

2. Thoughts

Another factor involves people’s beliefs about public speaking and about themselves as speakers. The fear often arises when people overestimate the stakes of communicating their ideas in front of others, viewing the speaking event as a potential threat to their credibility, image, and chance to reach an audience. Negative views of oneself as a speaker ( I am not good at speaking in front of crowds, I am not a good public speaker, I am boring , etc.) can also raise anxiety and augment the fear of speaking in public.

Some theories make the distinction between a performance orientation and a communication orientation. Performance orientation means you view public speaking as something that requires special skills, and you see the role of the audience as judges who are evaluating how good of a presenter you are. In contrast, communication orientation means that the main focus is on expressing your ideas, presenting information, or telling your story. For people with this orientation, the objective is to get through to their audience the same way they get through to people during everyday conversations.

Think about this in reverse: If you view any conversation that you have in the presence of another person as a form of “public” speaking, you have enough evidence that you can express yourself clearly and communicate effectively. You would then take the same approach to public speaking events where the focus is simply on sharing ideas and information. However, when the focus shifts from being heard and understood to being evaluated, the anxiety tends to be higher.

3. Situations

While there are people who by nature tend to be more anxious, or people who don’t think they are good at public speaking, there are certain situations that are likely to make most of us more anxious when presenting in a public forum.

• Lack of experience. As with anything else, experience builds confidence . When you don’t have a lot of stage hours under your belt, you are more likely to experience fear of public speaking.
• Degree of evaluation. When there is a real or imagined evaluation component to the situation, the fear is stronger. If you are speaking in front of a group of people who have the evaluation forms ready to fill out, you may feel more anxious.
• Status difference. If you are about to speak in front of people of higher status (e.g., people at your workplace in higher positions, or groups of accomplished professionals in your line of work), you may feel a higher dose of fear tingling through your body.
• New ideas. If you are sharing ideas that you have not yet shared in public, you may worry more about how people will receive them. When your public appearance involves presenting something new, you may feel more uncomfortable stating your position, taking questions from the audience, or dealing with those audience members who try to poke holes.
• New audiences. You may already have experience speaking in public and presenting to familiar audiences. You may, for instance, be used to speaking in front of professionals in your area of expertise. Fear may arise, however, when the target audience shifts. If you are standing in front of an audience that is very different from the people you usually speak to, your confidence may be a little shaky.

Finally, another factor that contributes to the fear of public speaking is how skilled you are in this area. While many people consider themselves naturally good speakers, there is always room for growth. The people who work on their skills, instead of relying on natural talent, are the speakers who stand out the most. There are many different approaches to enhancing this skill set and increasing competence in public speaking. Increased competence leads to increased confidence, which is an effective antidote to fear. Nevertheless, confidence alone does not translate into effective public speaking.

The many benefits of sharing information and ideas in public definitely outweigh the need to protect ourselves from the horror of having to speak in front of others. The next logical question is: How do we conquer this fear? Luckily, there are many approaches that work well, both in terms of building skills and boosting confidence.

Read more about how to conquer the fear of public speaking here .

LinkedIn image: fizkes/Shutterstock

Theo Tsaousides, Ph.D. is a neuropsychologist, assistant professor, and author of the book Brainblocks: Overcoming the Seven Hidden Barriers to Success .

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